Help Me With Solo's Please!!

Help! I know my scales and all that good stuff but I can't seem to create a solo. Does anyone know anything that would help me?!?

Solos aren't just about scales. Sure, you need to know what notes sound the best over a certain chord progression or what scales to play in certain keys... but that won't make you an instantly great solo player. You have to develop the techniques (bending, harmonics, tapping, sliding, etc...) A great guitar player doesn't have to play forty thousand notes in a solo... Listen to some of your favorite solos... learn them... watch guitarists play solos and try to mimic them. Then you will get an idea of how to play a solo without making it sound like you're running through your scales.

Although solos are pretty much the melody of a part of a song, a great deal of harmony is important with them and it's there that you really have to consider what you're soloing over. If you're working with mostly one or two chords then things are just not going to be as progressive (so to speak). This doesn't mean that it's not possible to do just that, I've been wrong before and in music there is no right, but if you really think about what it is that you're soloing over and put an equal amount of heart and soul into the rhythm then that'll open up a much larger doorway for ideas. Arpeggios, chords, hell, dual soloing. Certain note combinations will give you different feelings and sounds and whether you use notes that are in the chord underneath, out of the chord under or even flat out of key is all just an option you can use for a sound you want to perceive. A solo is like writing a fine piece of literature. If you only write one draft then the chances are it will sound ho hum or uninspired, but if you write it down and you read over it and rewrite it then it will gradually improve and become much more in depth and will have a greater impact. Scales, in my opinion, are good to know and help with guide lines, but to me they're just that. Guidelines, but when it comes to making something from the heart and perfect to me, I'm not about to limit myself to any selection of notes, chords, keys or anything. I think that shutting ideas out is rash and can greatly limit the progress a song can make. Keep in mind, I'm expressing a lot of opinions and those can only go so far beyond me, so don't go running with them. Best thing you can do is just find a piece for a rhythm and record a solo over it, listen to it, record another over it and compare. And continue this process as you see fit. And really pay attention to what you're doing too, don't just hit random notes. Think about what would sound best, keep up with your playing and keep an eye on any movement that felt good to you. And with that, keep practicing.

Yep, it's tricky for us all at our own levels. But to begin, learn some licks and tricks within yer scales, throw them around with some improv, and play it like you mean it. It would help to record if you're trying to compose a lead, that way you can take what parts you like without forgetting. Best way to learn some tricks (other than here) is to learn solos in songs you like. I'd say immediatley try to develop a good vibrato...it's hard but it's crucial to putting life into notes at times.

solos are like forming sentences to form a complete thought.

many jazz musicians quote artists they like and basically through inspiration, the alteration that comes from a different person playing something slightly different, and mixing stuff up...you come up with your own solo.

think of solo riffs like a vocabulary and your solo as your time to say a sentence...make sure you have a good vocabulary and understand how to make sentences...you don't need music lessons for that necessarily...afterall, you'll beable to hear what sounds right or not (just like when speaking).

what is very compreihesive is towork around the scales. harmonize solo's. Remeber dont run thru run around

Thanks all of these helped me a lot!! Peace Out!

Originally Posted by: CW14I like to think of it as question & answer phrases. One lick kinda asks a question, then the following lick sounds as though it's answering it. It's hard to explain, but just listen to some solos and you'll get what I mean.

I've actually formed a similar theory on a few songs that I've listened to in my day. Most of which, I'd say would be Satriani.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic ExcretionsI've actually formed a similar theory on a few songs that I've listened to in my day. Most of which, I'd say would be Satriani.

yeah...i think the way i described it is very similar but it's more of the jazz approach...blues is very question and answer...jazz is just saying something and it takes a lot more to make a speach than to just answer questions, you know? so i'm trying to beable to say a speach myself instead of just answering questions. definately not there yet...but i know i know the way and the approach i need.

Easy, just record a riff you want and improvise with licks and stuff to it until something cool comes out, then save it and do it some more until you have a ... you guessed it a solo!

a dumb thing to do is start making a solo out of nothing..cause then you have to make a riff FOR the solo and that sucks. and the solo wont be that good cause you have nothing to like.. feed it of

as for leads you do the same thing. play a riff in the background and improvise a lead over it until you're happy

check out my licks on the metal section. maybe you'll find some of it useful


Bøniz

Originally Posted by: LesPaulPlayer89Help! I know my scales and all that good stuff but I can't seem to create a solo. Does anyone know anything that would help me?!?

Record some chord pergressions that you've written or that you know and try to apply scales and techniques. Practice your lead and learn the 12 bar blues.